Naruto: Saving the Uchiha

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"It shouldn't be possible. That kid might be cunning, but at least he's not stupid. He wouldn't joke around with his own future or the Uchiha's, would he?" 

Thinking this over, Jiraiya felt a bit more at ease. 

He glanced at Orochimaru lying motionless on the hospital bed, as if peacefully asleep, sighed softly, and walked to the room next door. 

In the adjacent room, the Third Hokage stood by the window, hands clasped behind his back, gazing out at the brightly lit Konoha night. 

Seeing the untouched food on the table, Jiraiya casually strolled forward. 

"Old man, people are like iron, and food is like steel. Skipping meals isn't good for you." 

"I have no appetite." 

The Third Hokage turned, forcing a smile. 

"How is Orochimaru? Will he wake up anytime soon?" 

"He's much better now," Jiraiya replied with a laugh, trying to shift the Third Hokage's attention. 

"Tsunade personally checked on him. It's not a major problem, though the aftereffects might be severe. Kazuki's eye technique is just terrifying. If he joined the intelligence division, even the most tight-lipped spies would spill all their secrets in no time." 

"Indeed, it's quite frightening." 

The Third Hokage, known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, had studied numerous jutsu, including sealing techniques and genjutsu. 

But he had never encountered a genjutsu that caused such severe aftereffects. 

What made it worse was that this genjutsu had been used on people he was closest to and cared about the most—first Orochimaru, and then Danzo. 

Recalling something amusing, the Third Hokage let out a small laugh despite his inner turmoil and guilt. 

"I even looked up Kazuki's graduation records. The academy teachers' evaluation was that he barely passed. I can't figure out why he didn't enjoy studying back then." 

"Uh... well..." 

Hearing this, Jiraiya felt awkward. 

If Kazuki's evaluation wasn't great, his own was even worse. 

To put it bluntly, the fact that he graduated at all was practically a miracle. 

As a child, he was notoriously mischievous and absolutely hated studying. 

His theoretical knowledge scores were abysmal. 

"Ahem!" 

Remembering his own childhood, Jiraiya coughed and quickly changed the subject. 

"Tsunade suggested expanding the academy. I think it's a good idea. Kids these days have it too easy. Take Naruto, for example—he struggles with basic jutsu like the Clone Technique and spends all day sleeping." 

"Perhaps letting retired, experienced ninja teach at the academy would help. It could change the current situation," the Third Hokage said. 

"Letting children grow up safely away from war is the village's founding principle, but it's also necessary for them to understand the dark side of the ninja world." 

Providing children with a stable environment was one thing, but teaching them about the dangers, brutality, and darkness of the ninja profession was another. 

Giving them a heads-up early wasn't a bad idea. 

"Hmm." 

The Third Hokage's mood seemed to improve as his attention shifted from Danzo. 

Noticing this, Jiraiya kept chatting enthusiastically, pulling him into a lively conversation. Both had nothing else to do while keeping watch over their old comrade. 

---

"Heh, how amusing." 

In the adjacent room, Orochimaru, who had been lying completely still with a pale complexion, suddenly opened his eyes, a sly grin spreading across his face as Jiraiya's boisterous voice echoed through the walls. 

Lost in their engrossing conversation, neither Jiraiya nor the Third Hokage noticed a doctor moving oddly as they exited the hospital under the watchful eyes of the ANBU. 

Even with Jiraiya on guard, Tsunade had dispatched an ANBU squad to monitor the hospital. However, they stayed outside to avoid disturbing the patients. 

No one would have guessed that Orochimaru, supposedly immobile and requiring extensive recovery, would boldly slip away right under their noses. 

And the two men, engrossed in their chat, had no clue Orochimaru was already gone. 

It wasn't until the doctor attempted to administer a nutrient drip to "Orochimaru" that the truth dawned on them. 

The moment the needle touched the figure on the bed, the clone burst into a puff of smoke. 

The startled doctor stared blankly at the needle in hand for a long moment before realizing what had happened. 

"Lord Jiraiya! Lord Third Hokage! Orochimaru has escaped the hospital!" 

"What?!" 

---

By now, it was late into the night. After a long and exhausting day, Tsunade had barely lain down when Shizune woke her up. 

Massaging her temples, which throbbed from lack of sleep, Tsunade's gaze shifted back and forth between Jiraiya and the Third Hokage, filled with disbelief. 

"Ahem!" 

Feeling the heat of Tsunade's glare, Jiraiya nervously explained, pulling the Third Hokage into the fray. 

"Tsunade, it's not my fault! I saw the old man was upset and tried to console him. We just got carried away talking..." 

'Better him than me,' Jiraiya thought to himself. 'Old man, you handle Tsunade's wrath. I'd rather not get torn apart.'

"Me?" 

The Third Hokage pointed at himself in shock. 

"You were the one who came over to chat aimlessly, and now you're blaming me?!" 

"Enough!" 

Tsunade, thoroughly exasperated, resisted the urge to smack the pair into the wall. They were utterly unreliable. 

They had been chatting so enthusiastically in the next room that they failed to notice Orochimaru slipping away. 

What made it worse was that she had specifically warned Jiraiya that Orochimaru might wake up at any moment. 

And yet, he had forgotten her words entirely while comforting the Third Hokage. 

None of them were dependable. 

"Ahem. The ANBU are already searching for him, but there's been no news yet," the Third Hokage said, glancing instinctively at the ceiling. 

"Search? My foot!" 

Tsunade couldn't hold back her frustration. 

"Old man, do you even understand your student? You know better than anyone how skilled Orochimaru is at escaping. He's long gone. Do you really think you'll find him? Is that even possible?" 

The Third Hokage: "..." 

"Forget I said anything." 

"Haha..." 

Jiraiya awkwardly scratched the floor with his toe, praying Tsunade wouldn't turn her fury on him. 

"Laugh all you want! Get out! Seeing you two just makes me angry. You're both useless, always unreliable. Out! Both of you, out!"